Sludge distributor for centrifugal separators



Sept. 8. 1925.

e. TER ME ER SLUDGE DISTRIBUTOR FOR CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATORS Filed March 11, 1925 a INVENI'VOR g BY. MFMM 7 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES GUSTAV TER MEER, or HANNQVER-LINDEN, GERMANY.

SLUDGE DISTRIBUTOR FOR CENTRIFU'GAL SEPARATORS.

Application filed March 11, 1925. Serial No. 14,679.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV 'rnr. MJQER, a citizen of Germany, and resident of Hannover-Linden, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sludge Distributors for Centrifugal Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to centrifugal sepa- 1o rators for use in the separation of solid and liquid mixtures, and relates more particularly to the means employed for securing a uniform and even distribution of the material within the rotary separation chamher.

Although the apparatus may be used in connection with various different materials, I have particularly in mind the separation vof sludge which includes a non-uniform mixture of solid and liquid. When such a mixture is delivered to the separation chamber, even though the delivery pipe be at the center, the irregularity in the character of the material delivered often results in an unbalanced loading of the chamber so that the bearings rapidly wear from the strain exerted thereon.

It has been proposed to spray the sludge over the surface of a distributing plate running along the inner wall of'a hollow body connected to the separator, but the sludge sprayed against the wall of such hollow body often remains sticking in the position where it strikes, by reason of the action of centrifugal force thereon, and will only gradually slide down toward the floor of the chamber without separating.

In order to avoid this objection I provide as the important feature of my in- 40 vention a hollow body which is mounted within the chamber and held against rotation so that the sludge which is sprayed against the inner surface thereof from a centrally disposed rotatable distributor is no longer subject to the action of centrifugal force, but is subject to the action of gravity, and of its momentum acting in a tangential direction. These forces cause the sludge to slide down the inner surface of so the hollow body along an approximately helical path, whereby the material and particularly the solid portions thereof, are evenly distributed about the circumference of the hollow body at the lower end and enter the main chamber so as to evenly load the latter.

center or hub part 3. This hub part is carried by the bottom 4 of the chamber, and

the latter is encircled by the main pe-- ripheral wall 5.

The invention is applicable to various different types of centrifugal separators, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown. This form may be substantially as illustrated in my prior Patent 1,160,635, issued November 16th, 1915. It may be of the type in which the outer wall is perforated and forms the filtering medium.

As the important feature of my invention I provide a hollow body or bell 6 which encircles the distributing plate 2 and hub 3, and extends down into the chamber to such a distance that its lower end is adjacent but spaced from the bottom 4.

It is important that this hollow body or bell be held against rotation so that material thrown against it is not subject to the action of centrifugal force. The hollow member may be supported in any suitable manner (not shown). In operation the material is delivered through the pipe 1 on to the high speed rotary distributing plate 2 from which it is thrown out against the inner surface of the wall of the hollow body 6. It strikes in a substantially tangential direction and as soon as it strikes it ceases to be influenced by the direct action of centrifugal force but is acted upon by gravity. It is free to slide down the inner surface, butin doing so tends to follow a substantially helical path. The net effect of the centrifugal distribution against the non-rotary body and the later delivery of the material from the lower end of this body to the main high-speed rotary chamber is to secure a uniform and even distribution of the solid matter within the chamber, and an even loading of the latter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A centrifugal separator for sludge and the like, having a rotatable chamber adapted to contain liquid subjected to the action of centrifugal force, and including a bottom Wall and a peripheral Wall, a centrally and horizontally disposed circular, substantially flat distributor rotatable With said chamber and disposed above the bottom of the latter and onto which the material may be delivered, and a non-rotatable hollow member encircling said distributor and having its lower end disposed closely adjacent to the bottom of said chamber whereby liquid is delivered by said distributor to theinner surface of said member and thence flows downwardly along said surface to the bottom of the chamber free from the direct influence of centrifugal force, and there joins the main body of the rotating liquid.

Signed at Bremen, in the Free State'o'f Bremen and Republic of Germany this 19th day of January. A. D. 1925.

R. GUSTAV m MEER. 

